FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT BRAD KEYWELL - PAGE 2

The owners of the Wrigley Building confirmed Saturday they are talking to a number of outside parties about the future of the Michigan Avenue landmark — conversations that reportedly include two co-founders of Groupon. The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co., the global chewing gum powerhouse now owned by Mars. Inc., is in the process of relocating its headquarters to its campus on Chicago's Goose Island. "As we have been reviewing the real estate strategy for the Wrigley Building, we have had confidential discussions with a number of parties," the company said in a statement.

Construction barricades blocking off the Wrigley Building's plaza came down Sunday afternoon, the latest step in the renovation of the iconic skyscraper. The barricades were erected about a year ago in preparation for an architectural revamp of the city-owned plaza, which offers a pedestrian route from Michigan Avenue to Wabash Avenue over North Water Street between the building's north and south towers. The redesign includes a full restoration of the exterior terra cotta, upscale retail storefronts, granite flooring and decorative lighting.

Chicago-based technology investment firm Lightbank is investing in oBaz, a local "social haggling" startup that negotiates custom discounts for groups of consumers. Lightbank was founded by Eric Lefkofsky and Brad Keywell, who were early backers of Groupon and are now funding a growing number of startups both in Chicago and around the country. Brian Ficho, the founder oBaz, first pitched his company to Lefkofsky and Keywell 18 months ago and was invited to become a founder-in-residence at Lightbank.

The three co-founders of Groupon are not planning to sell any of their stock in the company when a lock-up period expires June 1, Chief Executive Andrew Mason said Thursday. June 1 marks the date when restrictions will be lifted on shareholders selling their Groupon stock. This group consists of people such as company employees and early investors. Groupon went public in late November, floating a small percentage of shares. The lock-up expiration could put upwards of 90 percent of outstanding shares into play.

Illinois has become the first state to partner with Startup America, a federal initiative to link local startup companies with capital, mentorship and other resources, Gov. Pat Quinn announced Friday. Locally, the partnership is known as Startup Illinois and is headed by the Illinois Innovation Council, a group of leaders in technology, business and academia whose creation Quinn announced in February. The council's chairman is Brad Keywell, a Chicago venture capitalist who was an early backer of Groupon Inc. The group held its first meeting in March at Groupon's headquarters.

GRPN data by YCharts Shares of Groupon Inc. tanked on Friday, reflecting heavy selling as restrictions on insider sales of stock were lifted. The stock closed down nearly 9 percent, or 95 cents, at $9.69 per share. Earlier in the session, it hit a 52-week low of $9.53. The sharp decline in Groupon's shares outpaced a broader downturn in equity markets. The Nasdaq fell nearly 3 percent. Friday marked the end of the company's lock-up period, which prevented insiders from unloading their Groupon stock.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel hit the national airwaves today to defend his former boss and said President Barack Obama faces a re-election challenge because Americans will hold him accountable for the economy. Appearing on NBC's “Meet the Press,” which was taped in Chicago, Emanuel also had the opportunity to plug what he views as his biggest accomplishments during his first five months in office. The broadcast focused largely on the national economy and Obama's re-election prospects.

Jessica Kim stood out among Chicago's newest crop of technology entrepreneurs after she quickly raised $1.2 million for her startup, BabbaCo, during the summer. But she's not a Chicagoan anymore. She moved to Boston soon after completing Chicago's Excelerate Labs boot camp in September. And Kim didn't waste time alerting media there of her arrival, with a Boston Globe writer announcing the relocation of BabbaCo's "headquarters" in a blog post that same month. Kim followed her husband, a hand surgeon, to Boston after he took a job at Beth Israel, a prestigious Harvard Medical School teaching hospital.

The G-8 and NATO summits being held in May in Chicago are expected to draw thousands of protesters, and Christie Hefner had heard that some local CEOs were being told by their senior staff to "get out of town" that week to avoid them. The warnings were making it "very difficult" for organizers to persuade corporations and executives to become "engaged" in the planning effort, Hefner said while moderating a panel discussion Tuesday at the Executives' Club of Chicago. So Hefner asked the panelists how the business community could present itself in the most positive light, rather than flee.

BodyShopBids , a Chicago-based startup that connects consumers with local auto repair shops, has raised $1 million in funding led by local venture capital firm OCA Ventures. New World Ventures and Lightbank, both Chicago-based investment firms, also participated in the newest round of funding. Last year, Lightbank had provided BodyShopBids with $250,000 in seed funding. The company's website and mobile applications allow a car owner to upload a photo of their damaged vehicle.